Geri banned from the road

Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell was today banned from driving for 42 days and fined £400 for speeding.

Halliwell, 28, admitted driving at 60mph in a 30mph zone in her Aston Martin DB7 on the A411 towards Watford, Hertfordshire, on October 31 last year.

The singer, who appeared before Watford Magistrates under her full name of Geraldine Estelle Halliwell, accepted "the gravity" of the offence and was "very very sorry", said Nicola-Jane Taylor, defending.

She was also ordered to pay £35 in costs.

After sentence was passed, Ms Halliwell smiled at the magistrates' bench, gave a little wave and said: "Thank you. Have a nice day. Goodbye."

A tanned Halliwell, who was wearing a floor-sweeping cream leather coat and matching spiky high-heel shoes, spoke in a quiet voice to confirm her name, date of birth and address during the brief hearing.

She confirmed her address as in Slough, Berkshire.

Ms Halliwell wanted to be treated like "any member of the public in sentencing and had no excuses for speeding", Ms Taylor said.

"Miss Halliwell offers no excuses to this court, in short there are no mitigating circumstances I will be putting to you today. She puts herself in your hands for justice to be meted out to her," Ms Taylor told the court.

"She expects to be treated in exactly the same manner as any member of the public and be admonished by this Bench.

"She is very very sorry for this offence of which she makes no excuses. She appreciates the gravity of it and is in your hands."

Halliwell, who has been driving since she was 17, pleaded guilty in writing in February but was ordered to appear in person for sentence.